Countering biogenic particulates

Plant breathing generates aerosols via various intermediate steps. These aerosols are practically as small as the fine particulates produced by industrial incineration processes. In the latter case, they have been proven to be unhealthy and harmful. "By contrast, the question of how aerosols of biogenic, i.e. natural, origin are generated and affect our health, cloud formation and climate still remains largely unexplained," says Dr. Astrid Kiendler-Scharr from the Forschungszentrum Jülich, where the young scientist, who returned from Silicon Valley three years ago, is in charge of the research group on "Stable isotopes in aerosols".
"I want to study how much fine particulate produced by natural processes actually exists," she explains. Working in the plant chambers, for example, the physicist and mother of two examines the substances that plants emit under controlled conditions and how these react with the ozone produced by car exhaust gases. She then uses the data to develop concepts on reducing environmental pollution.